MPA Deputy Chair opens Lawrence Steering Group National Community Involvement Forum

13/04
26 February 2004

R. David Muir, Deputy Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, will open the first Lawrence Steering Group Community Involvement Forum at Bridge Park Complex, Stonebridge Park, Harrow/Brentfield Road NW10 0RG on Thursday 26 February at 6.00pm.

This is the first in a series of local community meetings hosted by the Lawrence Steering Group that will be held in cities throughout England and Wales.

R. David Muir said:

“I am very honoured to be opening the Stephen Lawrence Steering Group ‘roadshow’. Our aim is to give communities the opportunity to let us know whether they think enough progress has been made against the recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Report.

“At our first meeting I intend to focus on four key issues most likely to have an immediate impact on our communities: racist incidents; Stop and Search; institutional racism; and issues of trust and confidence.

“Racist incidents are odious and pernicious and undermine the well being of not just the individual but the whole community. Recommendation 12 of the Stephen Lawrence Report defined a racist incident and in May 2000 a code of practice on the reporting and recording of racist incidents was published. We now need to find out how fully the code is being implemented. Dealing with racist incidents is not the sole responsibility of the police - only a multi agency approach can deal effectively with such incidents.

“Since 1999 figures show that there has been a steady increase in the number of black and minority ethnic people stopped and searched. The implementation of Recommendation 61, which stipulates that when police stop a person they must be given a record of that stop, is expected to shed some insight into this trend. Also the campaign to raise people’s awareness of their rights when stopped and searched, Recommendation 63, was relaunched in April 2003.

All 70 recommendations of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report aim to increase trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities. This is both a ministerial priority and a strategic priority in the National Policing Plan.

“We are happy to report that the vast majority of the these recommendations have been implemented since the establishment of our Steering Group. But we are not complacent. Despite these successes there is still a need for greater efforts to be made to engage with the communities for whom trust and confidence still remain an elusive goal.”

Notes to editors

This is the first in a series of local community meetings hosted by the Lawrence Steering Group. that will be held in cities throughout England and Wales. 

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